WELLINGTON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand continues to maintain healthy reserves of petrol, diesel and jet fuel, despite global supply disruptions stemming from the Strait of Hormuz amid the Middle East conflict, senior officials said Wednesday.
As of March 15, national stocks of petrol, diesel and jet fuel equated to about 49 days of cover, including supplies stored onshore and fuel on ships bound for New Zealand, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said in a statement.
"Levels are down slightly from last week, but the changes reflect normal patterns of consumption and shipping. They are not a sign of supply disruption," said Willis.
From this week, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is reporting on the pipeline of fuel shipments currently en route to New Zealand, with more than a week's worth of fuel expected to arrive in the coming days, she added.
Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones, who has responsibility for fuel security, said that officials are working closely with industry to strengthen the frequency, quality and timeliness of fuel stock and shipping data, adding that there was currently no need for any fuel restrictions. ■
